The College Experience
by ShayYourBooty
Summary: Human AU! Peridot and Amethyst are in their Sophomore year of college. Lapis, Peridot, Amethyst, and more! Lapidot ship.
1. Chapter 1

**Struggles**

 **A/N: Hey guys! I have another a/n waiting for you at the bottom of the page, but this is just a quick maturity warning. This fic will contain some swearing, drugs, drinking, and maybe some hanky panky. You know, your typical college setting.**

 _"PERIIIII"_

Stop. No. This cannot be happening.

" _PERRIIIIIII!"_ The call gets louder.

"Peridot Facet, it's freakin' 8:30! If you don't get your ass up right now…"

My eyes shot open, my arms sprung my sleeping body up from the comfort of my bed. I took in a big gasp as my eyes darted to my night stand and saw the time.

"I'm going to be late! Amethyst! Why didn't you wake me up sooner?!" I asked as I scrambled to find clean clothes. I sniffed a pair of jeans, "good enough," grabbed the nearest shirt, and ran down the stairs.

"I am _not_ your mama," she yelled out after me. "You're lucky I'm even awake this early to wake _you_ up."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. Thank you! I'll text you when I get to class!" I slung my backpack over my shoulder, grabbed my shades, and jogged out the door.

"Shit," I sighed. _It's the first day of the semester and I can't even get to class on time. I forgot to renew my parking pass for the new semester and now I have to run. Way to go, Peridot._ I shook the thoughts out of my head and booked it to campus. Luckily, our house was a ten-minute walk from campus and a fifteen-minute walk from my first class. _If I half jog, half walk I'll look like a weirdo but at least I won't miss the attendance verification._ Unfortunately, this professor was notorious for locking his door right at the minute of the beginning of his class.

As I got closer to campus I saw more students frantically trying to make it to their class on time. _Gross, do I look as sweaty as they do?_ As I finished my thought, a kid on a longboard zoomed past me, making me almost lose my balance.

"Hey, what the hell?!" I yelled after him.

"My bad, blondie!" He turned to me and shrugged.

I had half a mind to run after him and push him into the lake, but I didn't want anything else distracting me. I also made a mental note to look into investing into one of those things.

After what seemed like an eternity of running through the humid August morning, I made it to the enormous glass structure. I walked through the double doors and looked around the Math and Science building, pulling out my schedule to remind myself where my classroom was located. Calculus I, room 3025. _Great. Third floor._

Out of breath, I made it to the third floor and to my classroom just as I saw the professor's hand pulling the door in to close it.

"WAIT! PLEASE, WAIT!" I yelled. I see his hand stop briefly and I take it as a sign to come in.

"Your name?"

"Uh, Peri...I mean, Peridot. Peridot Facet, sir."

"Go to the front of the room, please."

My eyes widen and I felt the heat in my cheeks rise. _There's no point in arguing_. "Yes, sir"

I walk past a row of ten or so desks and I feel everybody's eyes burning holes through me. I glance around and try to give an awkward smile. The professor's voice cuts through the silence.

"Welcome to calculus I. I will pass around a class roster and you will sign next to your name. As we do this, I'm going to use Miss Facet here as an example." Without even glancing at me, he continues, "Miss Facet arrived at 8:59:55. She had five seconds to spare before the door was closed. I'm sure many of you have read the reviews left by your peers who had the privilege of previously taking my class. Well, let me tell you now. Everything they wrote about me is true. I would know, I've seen the posts. Class begins at exactly 9:00am. No exceptions. Miss Facet, I hope you have that engraved in your brain now. Please find a seat."

I stared at him, my mouth agape. I looked at the rest of the class and they averted their gaze. I found an empty seat toward the back of the fifth and final column and did the walk of shame to it. I tried my best not to draw any more attention to myself but failed when my foot got caught in someone's backpack strap. I tripped, almost losing my balance.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, not looking up at the owner.

"Oh! No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have my bag so far from the desk," I heard the owner reply.

I ignored the apology and was glad to finally be in my seat just in time to sign the roster. _Damn. What a shit show._ I pulled my phone out of my pocket and saw a couple of icons on the notification bar. I selected the message icon and saw three texts from Amethyst.

 **Amethyst 8:54am: Yo nerd, you make it to class on time?**

 **Amethyst 8:56am: I'll take that as a no**

 **Amethyst 8:56am: Wanna come back home and go get some Starbucks with me?**

 **I rolled my eyes and typed out my response**

 **Peridot 9:02am: Just barely. Thanks for waking me up**

 **Amethyst 9:02am: Sarcasm? I'll ignore it. I'm done with classes at 3. You?**

 **Peridot 9:03am: I'm not always being sarcastic. That was genuine gratuity. But now I may take it back. I'm done at 1:30. See you at home.**

I put my phone back into my pocket and felt a buzz but decided to ignore it. It was probably just Amethyst trying to pick a fight. I didn't need the professor calling me out for anything else either. _I can't believe that happened. Now he knows my name. Every single review stated explicitly that it won't be a good thing if he knows your name._

I got so lost in my thoughts and self-pity that I barely heard the professor dismissing the class. "And that is the last agenda on the syllabus. If you have any questions, please see me after class or arrange a meeting during my office hours. You are dismissed. Oh, and Miss Facet?" The blood in my face drained. "Let's not have a close call again, alright?"

"Yes, sir." I replied, head down in shame.

I walked out of class and heard the murmurs of my classmates walking next to me, "what a fucking asshole." I chuckled at the comment. _At least I'm not the only one thinking that._ I glanced around to see if I could find the person who made the comment, but everybody was busy trying to catch the elevator.

After two more classes, my time on campus had finally come to an end for the day. I made my way back to my house, taking in the scenery of a mid-afternoon campus at my university. There were guys and girls cruising on bikes, trying to avoid the pedestrians any way they could. I took the path through the middle of the two campus lakes and spotted a familiar face on the other side.

"Well, look who it is. Is this where your building is? Do I need to change my route from now on?" I laughed as Amethyst looked up and scowled.

"Quite the jokester, Peri." She stuck her tongue out at me.

"I just got called out, put on display, and called out again by an arrogant, narcissistic clod. Let me live a little." I said, with a fake hurt look on my face.

"What? You have to tell me the whole story!" She glanced at her phone screen. "But later. I'm gonna be late."

"Alright, be good in class" I replied with a motherly tone.

Amethyst rolled her eyes but then a wide grin appeared on her face, "Oh yeah, I left something in your room that should help turn that frown upside down." With that, she winked and strolled into the building. I smirked and continued the route back home.

With the added pep in my step, I zoomed up my staircase and opened the door to my bedroom. I looked around until I spotted it. There, on my desk, sat a bountiful plastic bag. _She came through._ I smiled as I took a big whiff of the contents of the bag. _So fresh_. I reached into my desk drawer and searched for my first choice, but to no avail. I made a mental note to run to the gas station to pick some up as I settled for the smaller packet of papers. I pulled one free and reached into the baggie, pulling out a nugget just the right size. I picked at the nugget until the fine herb filled the paper in just the right amount. I carefully lifted paper off of the desk and cautiously adjusted it in my fingers. They expertly began to roll the paper into what will be a source of great relief. I lit the twisted end and drew in a taste-filled experience that transformed my mood almost instantaneously. I grabbed the remote, jumped into the sheets, and exhaled that horrid memory of this morning away. _Thank you, Amethyst._

 **A/N: Thank you for reading this story! I got excited and wanted to get this story rolling so I decided to give you guys three chapters. This is my first fanfic under this account and the second one I have ever written. I would love some feedback!**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Goal**

I stretched my arms out wide, yawning as I slowly took in the soft morning glow in my room. I stayed under the covers, reveling in the warmth of my bed. My hands crawled around the end table next to my bed until they found the two devices that pieced my life together, my glasses and my phone.

I slipped on the spectacles and checked the time, _9:27. Ugh. I wanted to sleep in_. I tried shutting my eyes and letting my mind drift off to no avail. _Well, guess I should get up or something._

With an annoyed huff, I sat up and swung my legs to the cool carpet. I looked in the mirror and saw my unruly short blonde hair sticking out at all ends. I tried to pat it down but it just sprung back up. _Shower it is._

After showering and getting into my favorite green basketball shorts and a hoodie, I walked down the stairs to find Amethyst laid out on the couch. Her white-blonde hair was thrown up in a careless bun, with a box of pizza in her lap. Her gray sweatpants and ratty purple t-shirt told me that she had the exact same plan for the day that I did.

"Isn't it too early for pizza?" I asked, as I moved her legs and placed them on top of my lap. I snuggled into the couch and reached over to steal a slice.

We spent most of the Saturday morning just like that, couch-locked and binge watching Gotham. Although there were more productive things we could've been doing, it was great to forget about classes and the upcoming midterms.

"Man, I can't believe it's already October," I said, shaking my head. "We have midterms this week! I mean, my IT classes should be cake, but that freaking calculus class with that douchebag professor is going to ruin my perfect 4.0! Amethyst, I-"

"Peridot, who _cares_ about midterms?! Let's talk about how neither of us has a costume for Halloween! I think I want to go as a wrestler…a sexy wrestler," she said with a smirk playing on her face.

"Yo, what's the deal with people trying to make everything in to a "sexy" costume. Besides, I already know what I'm going to be. I freaked out about that already, now let me freak about midterms."

Amethyst looked at me in disbelief, "Oh yeah, whatcha gonna be then? A nerd? Year-round costumes don't count." She erupted in laughter, snorting as she tried to catch her breath, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, "she said in between giggles, "what's your costume?"

"I'm not telling," I huffed and pouted, crossing my arms.

"Oh come on, _Periii,"_ she begged, giving me puppy eyes, "I apologize for my outburst. Please?"

I rolled my eyes, "well, since you apologized…I'm going to be an alien." I looked up at Amethyst, expecting her to burst in another fit of laughter but, to my surprise, she was nodding enthusiastically.

"That's actually a great idea! Let me help put it together!"

"Knock yourself out," I beamed back at her.

My entire Sunday was spent at the library on campus. Even though I felt confident about this week's midterms, there is nothing wrong with perfection. The only class that was endangering my perfect grade point average was calculus. Apparently I wasn't participating in class the way the professor wanted me to. I didn't understand why I had to do a group assignment with those miserable, incompetent clods! I was perfectly capable of doing the work on my own! In fact, I did the assignment twice as fast as everybody else! _Ugh. Just thinking about it is giving me heartburn._

I gathered my belongings for the library and walked to the parking lot. It was late in the afternoon and, with the weather change, the time crept to darkness a lot earlier than I would've liked. "There's my baby," I said as I spotted my car in the lot. The jet-black paint job paired with a set of dark wheels glowed with flashing red lights as I hit the unlock button. I placed my backpack on the passenger side as I took my seat behind the wheel. I placed the key in the ignition switch and smiled as turning the key empowered a low growl from the car.

After spending the rest of my evening hanging out with Amethyst, I trudged up to my bedroom and stripped down to my sports bra and sweatpants. I sat up in bed and checked my social media accounts, which were pretty barren. I double checked my alarms. They were set to 7a.m. every Monday and Wednesday, just to be sure I had enough time to hit snooze a few times before waking up and still making it to class with time to spare. _I guess I'll talk to him tomorrow to see if he'll give me extra credit or something. I've been early to class every day since the freaking incident. I deserve it!_ Driven to get my A, I fell into a deep sleep with my goal in mind.

 **A/N: Hello, again! I know there's a lot of Amethyst x Peridot in this, but I promise your beloved Lapidot is coming :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Mission Accomplished. Sort of?**

I arrived to my calculus class with a few minutes to spare. The professor was at his desk, preparing the PowerPoint lectures. _This is your chance, Facet. You will not take 'no' for an answer!_

I walked up to his desk in full confidence mode- one that was quickly shot down when he looked up at me, exasperated. "Yes, Miss Facet?"

I felt my face grow hot, "uh, well…see. I…uh, I don't think it's very fair that I have a B in this class only because I refuse to work with a bunch of clo- students. Is there something, anything that I can do to bring it up to an A?" I felt out of breath after the words left my mouth.

"Miss Facet, I don't know what to tell you. It is specifically stated in the syllabus, which we went over, that you must have at least one group assignment completed," I was ready with a response but he put his hand up to stop me, "yes, I know that you have completed the group assignments. By yourself. Which isn't the point."

I sighed, "Yes, sir. I understand, sir." I hung my head and began to turn away to return to my seat when I heard him sigh.

"Miss Facet."

"Yes?" I said with eyes full of hope.

"I will give you the opportunity to raise your grade. Miss Lazuli?" _Huh?_ _Who?_

"Yes, professor?" Asked a voice behind me. I turned my head and saw an almost familiar face. I recognized the girl who sat a couple of desks in front of me, but I had never really had a chance to study her.

"Miss Lazuli, meet Miss Facet. Your new tutor."

We both looked at each other, wide-eyed. "Sir, with respect, I don't think I can do this…" She said. I may have looked a little taken aback because her face turned apologetic, "no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that," _Like what?_ I gathered myself and put my hands down on the professor's desk.

"Look professor, I agree with Lazuli. There must be another way to go about this."

"Listen, both of you. Both of you need to bring up your grade. I offered a solution. If you do not accept within the next five seconds, I will recant my offer."

I looked at her, nervous. She looked like the popular type. The type that hung out with the other pretty people on campus. They always seemed to know each other. Of course she didn't want to me to tutor her, I was the complete opposite! She was only taller than me by an inch or two, but she seemed to have a graceful nature whereas mine was frantic and clumsy. I was thin but soft, her torso was lean and tight, giving away that she was either involved in a sport or just consciously worked to stay fit. I preferred Taco Bell and Skyrim at three in the morning. The main thing that stood out about her was her dark hair. Whenever she moved, her hair would catch the sun's light through the window and it would glisten to a blueish color. She was definitely cooler than me.

My thoughts were interrupted by her outstretched hand. "Fine," she said. Surprised, I slowly grasped her hand in my grip and shook it once. "Fine," I whispered.

We walked to our desks in silence. The class was beginning to fill and the professor made his way towards the door, ready to ruin a poor soul's day. I took out my phone, ready to text Amethyst the not-so-exciting news when I heard feet shuffling next to my desk. I looked up and saw the girl. Her hair gleamed its deep blue as it caught the sun off of the window next to me.

"Lapis."

"Huh?"

"My name is Lapis. Let's talk after class." She said as she turned to move back to her seat.

 _Nice to meet you Lapis, I'm Peridot. Do you need help getting that stick out of your ass?_

I rolled my eyes and took out my phone to text Amethyst.

 **Peridot 9:05am: Amethyst, you will not BELIEVE what I just endured. It was…insufferable!**

 **Amethyst 907am: Woahhh dork. Cool it. I wanna hear this story face to face. I'm gonna get some popcorn**

 **Peridot 907am: Amethyst! This is serious! Sigh. I'll see you at home.**

I stared at my watch and counted down the minutes. _Maybe she'll forget? Maybe I should sneak out and just say I forgot? NO, Peridot. You need this grade._ This was the midterm review and all I could focus on was my meeting with Lapis after class. I slunk into my seat and carelessly went back to taking notes.

Students slowly started putting their books away. The professor dismissed the class and I saw Lapis pick up her back pack and head towards the door. She moved next to the frame and paused just outside the door. I gathered my belongings and dragged my feet to meet her.

She seemed to have gotten a phone call and I awkwardly stood outside of the door, waiting on her to hang up.

"Yeah, we can meet for lunch. Yeah, cool. Bye," she put her phone into her pocket and turned her attention to me, "The midterm is in two days. Let's talk about this tutoring thing."

 _So she does want me to tutor her?_ I hastily replied, "Sure. Um. Well, I'm pretty much free whenever. I'm usually done with classes by 1 so we can meet at the library or -uh- something."

"I have swim practice later, like at 6. Can you meet me at the library at 8?"

"Sure, uh yeah, that's cool. I like to be on the second floor," I replied.

"Ok, sure. Meet me by the café." Lapis went to turn towards the south exit, but my voice stopped her, causing her to turn to face me again.

"Peri."

"What?" She tilted her head and raised her eyebrow in question. I don't know why, but this made my face feel like somebody had just set it ablaze. The genuine questioning in her voice made me feel a brief second of calmness.

"My name is Peri. Well, Peridot. But most people just call me Peri." I gave her a quick smile and wave and swiftly turned towards the west exit before I could embarrass myself anymore.

I stepped into the chilly air of the autumn day and basked in the brisk wind kissing my cheeks. I replayed the scenario with Lapis and decided that it probably went the best it could have gone. _This whole tutoring thing might not be so bad afterall._

 **A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the first three chapters! I do have a big girl job and work for 8 hours a day plus go to school. I'm going to do my best to update regularly. If I feel inspired, I can knock out two chapters a night but that writer's block likes to hit out of nowhere sometimes.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm a Tutor?**

 **A/N: Hey guys! I hope this chapter is long enough for you guys! As always, please review! Especially grammatical stuff because sometimes things make more sense when you're stoned, haha. Also, shout out to those who have already reviewed, favorited, and/or are following the story. Y'all make me smile!**

"Alright, so what's your game plan?" asked Amethyst. It was approximately 7:30pm and we were finishing up our dinner at the campus dining hall.

"What do you mean?" I asked, eating the last bite of mac n' cheese on my plate.

"Like, are you going to be nice to her even though she hates your guts?" she laughed.

"Amethyst! She does not hate my guts. I have no reason to be rude to her. Maybe we'll find a common enemy in our professor and become…acquainted?" I immediately regretted my choice in words.

Amethyst's eyes twinkled to the point where you could almost see stars in them and her full lips broke into a wide grin, "Oh. My. Gosh. You like her! Oh, of course you want to become _acquainted_. Peri has a crush!"

I shook my head and waved my hands at her to quiet down, "I do not! I mean she's pretty and all but I _do not_ have a crush on her! Besides, she's probably straight. And I'm totally not her type. She's athletic, graceful…uh, and it would be wrong since I am her calculus tutor!" I felt myself blush and decided it was probably time to head out.

Amethyst and I placed our plates on the dish rack and walked out of the dining hall. "I'll see you at home, dork. Try not to kill each other…or make out with each other!" She punched me on the arm and walked away laughing at her joke"

"We're not going to make out!" I yelled after her and angrily huffed in the opposite direction. _She can really push my buttons sometimes. I'm just doing this to get my A and then I'm done. I'm probably never going to see Lapis again once the semester ends anyways._

I made it to the library and climbed the steps onto the second floor. The modern architecture of the four story building seemed so small with so many students buzzing around, trying to cram for their exams. I moved towards the café area and scouted a section for us. All of the comfortable spots near the windows were taken so I opted for a table. _Man, I think just about every student enrolled is here tonight!_

I stopped in my tracks as I came upon a table in the aisle of two parallel bookcases. Sitting with her head peering down, I saw the blue-haired girl, coffee in one hand and cell phone in the other.

"He-hey, Lapis," I smiled, awkwardly, as I approached the table. She looked up from her phone and gave me a quick "oh, hey."

 _I can sense your enthusiasm,_ I rolled my eyes. "Am I late or something," I asked, glancing at my watch.

Lapis slipped her phone in a pocket of her backpack and took a sip of her coffee. "No, I'm early. Swim practice ended a lot earlier than I anticipated. Let's get started. Teach me calculus." _Straight to it. Alright._

We scattered our books and notes across the table and began our, I guess you can call it, tutoring session. I explained limits, derivatives, antiderivatives, and everything else lined out in our study guide.

After about 45 minutes of taking notes and writing out example problems, we took a little break and walked to a nearby vending machine since the café was closing up.

"So, how are you stuck in this predicament?' Lapis asked, inserting bills and choosing an energy drink.

"What do you mean?" I raised an eyebrow, confused. I pulled the cash out of my wallet, ready to mimic her selection.

"Well," she started, "You were just as surprised as I was when he said you would be my tutor. Which leads me to believe that you don't just tutor people on the regular. So what did you do to piss him off? You know, other than being late on the first day of class." I swear I saw a faint smile play on her lips, but it was gone just as fast as it had appeared. We made our way back to our table.

"I didn't _piss him off._ And for your information, I was not _late._ I made it with five seconds to spare. Now, if you really want to know why I'm here, that man is a menace to my perfect grade point average! He won't give me my A because I did all of the group project assignments on my own. Apparently being an independent motivator and self-starter is frowned upon in the world of Calculus I. If I tutor you and help you pass, he'll give me my grade."

She rolled her eyes, "Basically, you're too arrogant to work with anybody else so your GPA depends on me. No pressure, right?"

"I am not _arrogant!_ " I exclaimed, "I don't like working with other people."

"Why?" Lapis inquired.

"Because…well, I just…don't see the need to dumb myself down for people who are just going to make me do all the work anyways! I prefer to work on my own." I sat down and opened up the math book for distraction. _I totally sounded arrogant._ "Alright, where were we. Ah, let's see you do number 7. That problem was on the first exam and I bet we'll see it again."

" _Greattt_ ," she shook her head.

A couple of hours later, Lapis was still struggling to grasp the concept of some methods. She shut her book in frustration and started packing her belongings. "Listen," she started, "It's already 11. I'm exhausted from practice. Let's just continue this tomorrow. I told coach that I needed the night off to study." She dug into her backpack and pulled out her phone. "Here," she handed it to me, "save your number and I'll text you when I'm free. Cool?"

"Fine." I quickly tapped in my number and saved it, 'Peridot Facet.' "Can we do around 6ish? We have a lot to cover and I do not want to stay here all night."

She grabbed her phone from me and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Sorry you have to dumb yourself down for people like me. I'll text you when I'm free." Lapis started towards the exit without giving me a second look.

 _What just happened?! Does she think I called her dumb? Ugh._ "Lapis! What are you talking about?"

She continued walking, "Nothing, nerd. I'll see you tomorrow."

Still trying to register what happened, I packed my books and made my way to the opposite exit. _Well, that was awkward._ _Tomorrow is going to be so painful to get through if she's going to be upset the whole time. Why do girls have to be such complex creatures?_

I exited through the glass doors onto the main campus. The lamps that lined the brick-paved walkway and the clear, bright, shining stars illuminated the night. I took out my headphones and pressed 'random' on my favorite playlist. I smiled as soon as I recognized the song. "Chaos" by Mutemath. Immediately, the song made me nod my head on the beat. The best part about walking to and from campus is getting to lose myself in music until I reach my destination.

I managed to finally get in bed around 11:45. I was kind of glad that Amethyst was studying with some of her friends so I didn't have to relive the awkwardness of tonight. Although, she'll definitely bring it up tomorrow.

Since my first class on Tuesdays and Thursdays doesn't start until 10:30, I decided to watch a little bit of TV. I knew Amethyst would kill me if I watched Gotham without her, so I decided on Vikings. A little blood and death was settling before bed, right? Unfortunately, I didn't last long. I felt my eyes heavy not even before the beginning credits were ending. I lazily paused the show, placed my glasses on the small table beside me, and knocked out.

The early morning sun peered through my window, waking me up well before my alarm. For once, I was wide awake instead of grumpy and groggy. I'm definitely not a morning person. Without reaching for my glasses, I grabbed my towel and walked into the bathroom. I readied the shower and stepped in, gasping as the hot water made contact with my skin. It painfully felt so good.

After stepping out of the shower I decided that it would be a hoodie and jeans kind of day. I opted for a burgundy t-shirt and I pulled out a pair of black skinny jeans and slipped them on. I had to jump and wiggle a few times thanks to my legs being damp. I found the hoodie that I was looking for and walked into the laundry room to throw it in the dryer for a few minutes.

It was still only 9am. I had a full hour and a half before my first class of the day. I poured a bowl of cinnamon toast crunch and placed it on the coffee table in front of the television. As I was reaching for the remote, I heard feet shuffling.

"Oh no," I sighed. I knew Amethyst would make me tell her about last night. I was in such a good mood, too. I heard as the shuffling moved into the direction of the bathroom that we shared upstairs and after a few minutes, coming down the stairs.

"Good morning, sunshine," she greeted, "you escaped my inquiring wrath last night but let me get a bowl of cereal and I want to hear all about yesterday." She saw my expression turn sour and shook her head and laughed.

"Amethyst, I know that I'm not necessarily a 'people person' but I never knew someone could hate me so much!" I started as she took her seat next to me on the couch.

"I'm sure she doesn't _hate_ you. She probably-"

"No, she _hates_ me. She thinks I called her dumb!" I interrupted.

Amethyst's became amused, "well, did you?"

"No! I simply just stated that I do not work else with others because I have to dumb myself down to-"

This time it was she who interrupted, "Dude, you totally called her dumb. What are you going to do now?"

I sighed in defeat. _I did call her dumb. But I didn't mean it!_ "I didn't mean to. Maybe I'll just apologize when we meet up later?"

"Good idea. Maybe you should bring her a little apology present!"

"I don't think I know her well enough to know what she likes," I replied, hesitantly.

"Think hard, nerd. You must know something! Anyways, I'm going to head upstairs. My classes got cancelled so we can study for the midterms, so I'm going to have a little session. Wanna join?" Her eyebrow lifted in excitement.

"Maybe after class," I replied, "I actually should start heading out. I'll see you later!" With that, we went our separate ways. I walked towards the laundry room to retrieve the sweater. I moaned with delight as I pulled it over and the warmth wrapped my body.

I grabbed my shoes which were near the front door and a delightful aroma filled my nostrils. _Maybe I can spare a few minutes. No, no, no. Class!_

My classes for the day, IT Infrastructure and Programming, were a breeze to get through. There was no doubt that the midterms would be just as simple. Writing code came almost second nature to me and the networking stuff was basically just some IP addresses and binary to hexadecimal stuff. Piece of cake.

The rest of my day passed agonizingly slow while I was waiting on Lapis to text me to confirm our tutoring session. I powered on my Xbox to distract myself and logged on to play a quick round of CoD.

Somehow, the quick round turned into three when I suddenly felt my phone vibrate. I felt a tightening in my tummy as I checked the message.

 **Unknown 6:12pm** : **Running late. See you in 20.**

 _Alright, now I have to wait at least five minutes so it doesn't seem like I've been waiting around all day for her text…or does exactly five minutes seem too planned out? Six. I will wait six minutes. But what should I say?_

I started typing the message out, erasing and reconstructing several times before I settled on the perfect reply.

 **Peridot 6:14pm: Cool.**

 _Shit!_ My finger slipped, sending the text only two minutes after the original. "Shit, shit shit!" I sighed, "Ugh. Well that sucks." I got up from my chair and grabbed my backpack on my way out the door.

 _I wonder where Amethyst has been all evening. Probably studying with Garnet and Pearl or something._

I unlocked my car and hopped into the Evo. The weather was perfect enough to have my hoodie on and drive with the windows down. _One of the many reason that Autumn is my favorite season. "_ Deep Down Low" by Valentino Khan thumped out of my speakers as I made my way to the campus library.

It was 6:30 by the time I made it into the building. I looked for the table that we used last night but there was a very stressed-out looking group taking it over. I scanned the area and spotted two seats next to the window. _Perfect!_ The couch-like chairs sat opposite of each other with a small table in between. I plopped my backpack onto the table to claim the spot and walked to the vending machine that was now conveniently around the corner. _A Monster for me and a green Red Bull for Lapis. That is what she has last time, right?_

I walked back to the table and felt a buzz in my pocket.

 **Lapis 6:35pm: Marco**

 _Clever._

 **Peridot 6:35pm: Polo. By the vending machine.**

I felt a mixture of dread and excitement when I saw the girl appear from behind a book shelf. I waved to get her attention and she walked over and took the seat across of mine.

"Hey, I'm sorry I couldn't get here at six. Stuff came up," she said as she took her book and notebook out of her bag.

"Oh, don't worry about it. This turned out to be a better time for me too," I lied. I quickly remembered about the energy drink and pushed it towards her end. "Here," I said, "I uh- got this for you. I remembered that you got this one yesterday and thought you might want one"

Lapis looked at me, eyes narrow. "Thanks…but this doesn't mean that I'm over you calling me stupid."

My jaw dropped, stammering I said, "Lapis! No! I never thought you were stupid!"

"You said you have to dumb yourself down for people and I'm still sitting here struggling to comprehend fucking calculus." She shot back.

"I'm sorry, it just comes easy for me. But that doesn't mean I think you're dumb. I just want to help you get a good grade!" I looked at her with pleading eyes and her eyes quickly averted my gaze.

"Whatever. Let's just get this over with." She replied, softly.

I started the tutoring with having her work out some of the problems that I helped her complete yesterday. I checked her work and she seemed to have remembered how to solve them. I gave her a few new problems and she had to ask me for help.

"Okay," I started, "To find the derivative of this function, we do algebra first and then apply calculus rules."

By the time 10:30 rolled around we had worked through the entire study guide so she would have study material to cram before the exam the following morning.

"I feel…slightly better about this test," Lapis said. "Maybe I'll actually pass this one."

"I'm sure you'll do well!" I smiled. "Please do well." I begged.

Lapis gave me a soft smile, almost apologetic. "I'll try Peri. I'm going to go home and cram a little bit more. Thank you for your help." Either way, Lapis Lazuli actually smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for being so late with the update. I had finals plus its our busiest time of year at work. Ah! Can't catch a break. Anyways, enough with the excuses. Here's this chapter to appease your appetite. It shouldn't be too long until the next update, promise!**

 **The Midterm**

 _Where is she?!_ I looked down at my watch as my anxiousness grew. _8:55. Where could this girl be?!_ The minutes passed and a few more students trickled in. The midterm was about to begin and Lapis was nowhere to be found. The professor stood from his desk and made his way to the door. _If she's late, she won't be able to take the exam! Which means she fails and I get a B!_ An idea popped into my head. _Distraction!_ "Hey professor," I called out. He stopped in his tracks and turned to me.

"Yes, Miss Facet?"

"Uh-how many questions is this exam? Will it be multiple choice?" _Stupid question._

He sighed in annoyance, _"_ Miss Facet, exactly how many of our exams have been multiple choice?"

"None…" I replied with a weak smile.

"That's right. So why would this be any different? Now, enough with your attempted distract-"

An out of breath Lapis came rushing into the room right before he reached the door.

"Ah, thank you for joining us, Miss Lazuli. Have a seat and the T.A. will hand you your exam. Make sure to keep it face-down until I say so or it will be an automatic fail."

Sudden relief filled my body as I followed her movements while she made her way to her seat. She wore an indigo sweater that loosely fell above her knee and black leggings underneath. Her hair was slightly disheveled but she still managed to look put together…that is, until our eyes met. Lapis' eyes were completely blood-shot and the bags under them tattled on her sleepless night.

"You may now begin." Our eyes quickly averted onto the white sheet in front of us. I looked over at Lapis and, to my surprise, she looked over at me. I gave her a thumbs up and she responded with a weak smile. _Good luck, Lazuli._ I turned my head and looked down at the white sheet. I rested my chin on my palm and began breezing through the midterm.

I picked up my backpack after turning in my exam, finishing first as usual. I shot Lapis one last glance before I left the classroom. She was working so diligently. Her eyes were narrowed and she would bite her lip in concentration. I felt the blood rush to my cheeks when I realized I was staring. I walked out the room and shut the door quietly behind me.

I stood outside the classroom, hesitating staying until Lapis was done with the exam. Ultimately, I decided to start heading towards my next class. I didn't want to be there in case she thought I was weird for doing so. _After all, the deal was that I tutor her for the midterm. The midterm is now over. We don't have to see each other outside of class anymore._

My shoulders slumped and I walked towards the exit. I was going to be pretty early, but that meant I could listen to music for longer. I pressed play on my favorite playlist and walked down a breezy campus.

I dropped my backpack onto the floor of my room and plopped onto my bed. I always loved exam days because it meant that I would be home much earlier than usual. _Hopefully Amethyst finishes up quickly. Maybe we can get some food later._

I decided to pass the time and celebrate a successful first day of midterms by going into my bag of goodies. I remembered to get my favorite swishers on the way home and took one out of the foil pouch. I hovered it over the trash can and ran my thumbs down an invisible seam to gut its contents. I licked it a little to moisten it and then crumbled the herb finely onto it. Once I had the perfect amount, I grabbed it between my thumb and forefinger and rolled it. I licked it once more to seal the newly formed blunt, put one end to the flame, and inhaled the smoke.

After a couple of hits, my body felt relaxed but my mind was traveling a million miles per hour. All I could think about was texting Lapis to ask how she did on the exam. I contemplated the pros and cons of reaching out to her, "On one hand, I am her tutor. It's only fair for me to know how my student did…and on the other, she might tell me that it's none of my business." I sighed and decided to pause my thoughts and walked over to my stereo. I connected my phone and played my EDM playlist. A Deep House version of Feel Good Inc. played.

My room was my safe haven. I had it set up exactly the way I wanted. A sleek 55" television sat on an entertainment system which was also equipped with an Xbox One, PlayStation 4, RPG games, FPS games, racing games, and plenty of other geektastic entertainment. Speakers were mounted around the room to create a surround sound atmosphere. Perfect for gaming and music.

As the bass thumped on my walls I noticed my door open. "Wow, Peri. It smells great in your room. Thanks for waiting on me, jerk!" Amethyst said as she climbed onto the bed next to me.

"Don't worry," I laughed, "there is plenty left."

After Amethyst made it on to my level I decided to ask her opinion about texting Lazuli. "Just text her, Peri! Stop being such a punk."

I crossed my arms and frowned at her, "I am not a punk. I'm just trying to respect her privacy. What if she doesn't want anybody to know her grade?"

"Stop making excuses! Text her! Text her! Text her!" She started chanting.

"Fine, maybe I will!" I started getting up from the bed when the music was interrupted by a _ping_ notifying me the I had received a text. Amethyst and I looked at each other. "Well, go see who it is!"

I walked over to my phone and paused the music. I opened my messages and couldn't hold back a smile when I read the text.

 **Lapis 5:42pm: Hey**

"I wonder who that's from. You're over there making googly eyes to your phone." Amethyst smirked.

"I am not making 'googly eyes,' Amethyst." I stuck my tongue out at her.

"What should I say?" I asked.

"Just be casual about it. Hey, by the way, do you want to order pizza or something? These munchies are killing me."

I laughed, "Sure. I'll get it this time. There's money beside my TV." My eyes were still focused on the phone screen.

 **Peridot 5:44pm: Hey, what's up?**

 _There. Simple reply._ I was caught off guard by the quick buzz of my phone after I sent the text.

 **Lapis 5:44pm: What did you think of the exam?**

 **Peridot 5:45pm: I don't think it was too bad. How do you think you did?**

 **Lapis 5:46pm: Ugh. Of course you didn't think it was bad. Let me put it this way. I was the last one to turn in the exam.**

 **Peridot 5:46pm: I'm sure you did great! Especially because you had me as a tutor :)**

I waited for her response for a couple of minutes but after a while figured that was the end of the conversation and went down stairs to see if Amethyst had ordered the pizza.

"Hey Amy, do you think this sounded too arrogant?" I handed my phone over to Amethyst and she read over the exchange.

"No. It just sounds like you're trying to flirt." She playfully jabbed an elbow into my side and my face shined a beet red.

"I wasn't flirting! I was just trying to boost her confidence!" I snatched back my phone. "Did you order the pizza?" I inquired.

"Yes ma'am. It is on its way!" She said as she moved to the couch and turned on the TV. "Gotham?"

"You know it." I said, as I moved next to her. _I should probably be going over my study guide for tomorrow exams…but what can one episode hurt?_

I woke up Thursday morning, upset that I had stayed up half the night watching Gotham with Amethyst. I didn't nearly get as much studying as I wanted to, but I didn't expect my exams to be too challenging. Besides, it was only 8am. I had plenty of time to go over my notes.

I grabbed my phone from the charger before I headed to the shower and saw a blue blinking light, indicating that I had a text message.

 **Lapis 3:47am: I guess we'll see.**

 _What in the world was she doing up at almost four in the morning? Should I reply? Should I just leave it be?_ I decided to go with the latter option and leave the message alone. _Two of us can play mysterious and aloof._


	6. Chapter 6

**The Party**

 **A/N: Hello! I'm so sorry for the hiatus. Honestly, I couldn't bring myself to finish this chapter. The chapter didn't go the direction I wanted it to because I was too distracted with school and work. I apologize if it isn't the best, but I just wanted to get it over with! More chapters coming up soon!**

The rest of my midterms went just as I expected. Students were usually so fried by the end of the exams that we needed a little bit of time to regroup before starting the section for our finals, so they give us the Friday and Monday off. A four-day weekend meant no Calculus on Monday, which meant that we would have to wait until Wednesday to find out our exam grade. Other than having to wait longer to see what grade Lapis got, I was excited to have a four-day weekend.

Many students opted to go home for the long weekend but Amethyst and I decided to stay at school and have our bi-annual small party to celebrate the end of midterms. Fall's party was the best because it hyped us for the soon arrival of Halloween.

With my party playlist bumping in the background, Amethyst texted the people she knew would be in town and I gathered the mixers. "Amethyst! Who is getting the liquor?" I asked.

"Ugh. I can't wait until I'm 21 and don't have to depend on others to get the booze!" I heard her yell back. "I think Garnet said she would since Pearl is too chicken to."

I chuckled at the thought of uptight Pearl doing something illegal until I realized that, other than pot, I would probably chicken out of illegal activities too. I sighed and started mixing ingredients, minus the vodka, for the perfect slime. It was my signature drink, the mixture was green and got people wasted. What more could I ask for?

As time crept closer to 9:30, people started to trickle in. Luckily, the first to arrive were Pearl and Garnet. I thanked her for the alcohol and proceeded to hand her money. She refused my offer, "You have provided the house for the party and the mixers. Let me provide the liquor."

I thanked her again and mixed the final ingredient into the green liquid. I poured the first cup for her and a second cup for me. We cheersed to being half way done with the semester and, after pouring two more cups, moved back into the living room with everybody else. "The slime is ready!" I announced. People cheered and made their way to grab their drink from the kitchen.

Amethyst and Pearl came over to us and we handed them their cups. "Hello, Peridot." Pearl greeted me with a smile.

"Hello, Pearl." I smiled back. I never knew if she liked me or just hung out with me because of Amethyst. I didn't really stress about it. At least Garnet liked me.

"Hey Garnet, how do you think you did on your midterms?" I asked.

"They didn't seem as difficult as I thought they were going to be," she said in cool composure, "but I guess we'll see."

"Ugh, enough school talk, nerds!" Amethyst exclaimed. "This party is to celebrate the end of midterms, so why are we still talking about it?"

"Fine," I rolled my eyes, "what is everyone going to be for Halloween?"

That got Amethyst excited, "Oh, yes! We need to talk about our plans for that! Peridot and I were just thinking about hitting up the bars, maybe a party?"

"Well," Pearl cleared her throat, "Garnet and I got invited to a party. You guys are welcome to join."

Garnet agreed with Pearl, "Yes, you two have to come. We can meet and go there together, if you like."

I looked at Amethyst and she smiled and shrugged. I decided that it wouldn't be too bad, "Alright, I'm in."

"So back to my original question! What is everybody going to be for Halloween? I was thinking of going as an Alien."

"I decided on being an Olympic boxer" Garnet said, giving me a quick jab in the shoulder.

I soothed my shoulder and scowled at Garnet. Pearl talked about how she wasn't sure about what she wanted to be a fencer and Amethyst described her plans for her wrestling costume "I'm thinking a wrestling leotard and-"

"It's called a singlet," I interrupted, correcting her.

"Whatever, a _singlet_ with nothing underneath." She winked. "Maybe a mask too!"

Pearl and I were blushing, probably both thinking about Amethyst in a singlet with nothing underneath. Although I didn't think it would be appropriate for her to wear to a party, I wouldn't have minded seeing her pull it off. I shook my head to clear the thought away and chugged some of my drink.

By 10:45, the house was a full blown party. Our friend, SC, offered to DJ the party and turned it into a rave. Lights, fog, and all. I heard a familiar song play, "Burial" with Yogi and Skrillex. My living room was filled with people jumping to the music, some bodies grinding on each other. _Oh my stars. My living room has turned into a night club._ While a part of me was worrying about the mess we would have to clean up in the morning, most of me was proud of the great turnout.

I squeezed my way into the kitchen for another drink. Luckily, the kitchen wasn't as packed with people since more have moved to the backyard to play beer pong. I stopped in my tracks as I recognized a familiar figure. To my bewilderment, Lapis was standing in my kitchen, pouring herself a drink. She turned to find me staring, wide-eyed. She cocked her head to the side in confusion as I made my way to the slime.

"Peridot," She laughed, "I never thought I would ever see you at a party," she yelled over loud music.

I laughed at the remark. _She doesn't know this is my party!_ "Um, this is kind of my house," I stated.

Lapis' eyes grew wide and she laughed softly, "this is _your_ party? I didn't know this was your style... or that you knew this many people."

"Well, uh, actually, they're mostly Amethyst's friends and acquaintances. And some random people who I have no idea who they are."

"I see…" Lapis replied, taking a sip of her drink. "This is such a weird drink, by the way. Why is it green?"

"Because it's called slime." I replied in a matter of fact tone. I started to feel the buzz of the concoction loosen me up and decided to try to make conversation, "Uh, so how long have you been here?" I asked.

"I came with a couple of girls from the swim team about half an hour ago." She shrugged.

Our conversation got cut short by an enthusiastic Amethyst jumping towards us. She was very smiley and had a glow in her cheeks, giving away that she was definitely tipsy.

"Who's your friend, Peri?" She asked, clinging onto my arm.

"Oh! Uh, Amethyst, this is Lapis, Lapis this is Amethyst, my roommate." I introduced. Her eyes widened and a teasing smile played on her lips.

"Well, Lapis Lazuli. You need to catch up and get on my level!" Amethyst grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the refrigerator. She took out a round of jello shots and handed each of us one.

"You don't have to take that, Lapis. Amethyst gets a little pushy when she's…uh… intoxicated" I said.

"Hey!" Amethyst protested. "I am _not_ intoxicated!"

Lapis laughed in amusement, "Don't worry, Amethyst. I'm no punk." And with that, Lapis swirled her finger around the edge of the cup to loosen up the jello. "Cheers to being half way done with the semester," she said as she raised her shot.

"Cheers!" Amethyst and I shouted in unison. We touched cups and then swung it down the hatch. The shots, made by Amethyst herself, were the perfect combination of tasty and "take too many and you'll be fucked up."

Amethyst took three more out of the fridge, "I'm gonna go make Pearl and Garnet take these!" She moved towards the living room and danced her way through the crowd of people.

Lapis took a sip of her drink and we stood there, awkwardly. "Well, enjoy the party," I said to Lapis. I rubbed the back of my neck and waved "Feel free to have more of those shots." I smiled lopsidedly and walked back into the living room with the rest of the party.

"Shit! All that and I forgot to grab my drink." I sighed but then quickly remembered my alternative. I searched the house for a sign of my roommate.

I finally saw a glimpse of her. Her pale lavender hair was glowing in the blacklight. Her body was pressed against another, both moving in a rhythmic pattern. I looked over at Pearl, sitting on the couch with her arms crossed glaring at the pair. _Somebody is a little jealous._

I walked over to her, "Hey Pearl, are you having fun?"

She turned her head to me, glare still intact. "Oh yes. I'm having a blast. Watching those two grind against each other all night is my idea of a good time." She hmphed and turned her attention back to the two girls dancing.

"Don't worry, I came to steal her for a bit." I smiled.

"Are you two going to go do what I think you're going to do?" She rolled her eyes.

"Uh...maybe? Would you like to join?"

Pearl scoffed, "As if. You two go have fun."

I got off the couch and went up to Amethyst, which was a mistake. She pulled me in and starting dancing on me. My face was burning from her suggestive dancing. I should be used to this by now. I pulled her face in to whisper in her ear. She immediately stopped dancing and perked up. Garnet asked what we were whispering about and Amethyst shared the plan. Garnet smiled and nodded over to Pearl.

"Would you like to come, Pearl?" Garnet asked in her smooth British tone.

Pearls mouth went agape but she stood from the couch and followed us up the stairs while the rest of the people partied on. I led them into my room and we all sat down. I was on my computer chair while the three shared the bed.

We rolled a blunt and teased Pearl about how she was getting a contact high. "You might as well hit it, Pearl," Amethyst joked.

"No, thank you." She insisted.

"If Pearl doesn't want to smoke and get lifted into our transcendence then we should not pressure her to do so," Garnet defended her.

Amethyst was about to continue her harassment but was interrupted by the bedroom door slowly opening. We all whipped our head in the direction of the door and were confused when we saw the familiar face.

"Oh, uh, sorry. I thought this was the bathroom." Lapis said as she backed out of the room.

"Wait!" I shouted. Everybody turned to look at me, awestruck and my whole body felt hot. "I mean, uh…do you want to join us?"

Lapis shook her head, "no, no thank you."

"Aw come on, Lapis. Pearl has already rejected us, don't break our hearts too!" Amethyst pouted her already pouty lips. Who could say no to that?

"Or," Pearl started, "You can keep the non-stoner company." She smiled at Lapis and patted the space next to her.

"Lapis hesitated, "I, uh…I just really want to find the bathroom."

Pearly looked slightly taken aback and glared at her, "Next door on your right," she sat flatly. Pearly turned he attention to me, "Honestly, Peridot, I don't know how you can have a crush on someone so…ill-mannered."

I rolled my eyes, "first of all, I do not have a crush on Lapis Lazuli, and second, she is not ill-mannered. Some people prefer not to be around this kind of stuff and we have to respect that." Pearl crossed her arms and pouted and Garnet broke the silence by suggesting we all return to the party.

The party had reached its peak. SC toned down the music and played a remixed version of Tove Lo's "Talking Body." The slow and sexy Young Professional's version had the effect of making people dance as if they were having sex with their clothes on.

I searched the crowd for the familiar blue hair. I can't explain why, but I felt a pang of disappointment when I didn't see her anywhere. _I guess she left._ I sighed and went over to pour myself another drink.

It was around 4 a.m. when the last person stumbled out of our house. Luckily, a lot of them lived in the apartments nearby. _The best thing about college is definitely that everything is within walking distance._ I offered Amethyst's bed to Pearl and Garnet, "you guys are really more than welcome to crash here. Amethyst can sleep in my bed so I can make sure she lives to see another day," we all glanced over to the drunk lump on the couch. Amethyst mustered up a thumbs up and we all laughed hysterically.

"Alright, sure. We'll take her bed. Thank you Peridot," Garnet turned to Amethyst "Good luck, Amethyst." Amethyst sloppily raised her hand to give another thumbs up and dropped the full weight onto her lap.

After getting Amethyst into bed with a bottle of water and a trash can by her side, I cuddled up between the sheets and read my missed texts. My stomach twisted into knots and it wasn't because of the slime.

 **Lapis 1:32 am: I'm sorry if I offended your friend, in any way. I really just was looking for the bathroom! Sorry I had to leave so early…stuff got in the way. Anyways, nice party. Enjoy your break.**

I read the text over and over again until I drifted into sleep. I didn't even bother to take my glasses off. _It was a nice party._


End file.
